spirant – מילון אנגלי-אנגלי
Fricative consonant
Fricatives are
consonants produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by placing two
articulators close together. These may be the lower lip against the upper teeth, in the case of ; the back of the tongue against the
soft palate, in the case of
German , the final consonant of
Bach; or the side of the tongue against the
molars, in the case of
Welsh , appearing twice in the name
Llanelli. This turbulent airflow is called
frication. A particular subset of fricatives are the
sibilants. When forming a sibilant, one still is forcing air through a narrow channel, but in addition, the tongue is curled lengthwise to direct the air over the edge of the teeth. English , , , and are examples of this.
spirant
Noun
1. a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract
(synonym) fricative consonant, fricative
(hypernym) continuant consonant, continuant
Adjective
1. of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then')
(synonym) fricative, sibilant
(similar) soft
spirant (de)
n.
spirant
Spirant
(n.)
A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some as equivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception, by others, of the liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of German ch, -- thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter.
About
spirant
fon. spirant
spirantă = spirant
